Protecting plant diversity via stoichiometric nutrient networks across Europe’ (DiviN-P)

Europe faces changes in biotic patterns, notably species distribution patterns following nutrient enrichment, climate change, and expansion of invasive species. Nutrient enrichment is an important driver of species loss and changes in plant community composition. It directly alters habitat conditions leading to species turnover, but also can make communities more vulnerable to invasive species1 , including species that are changing their distribution in response to climate change. Although local impacts of nutrient enrichment have been widely studied, it remains unclear how these local changes are impacting the overall distribution of plant species at the European scale, how nutrient enrichment and climate change interact, and how these combined changes are affecting the conservation status of endemic and already rare and threatened species. Furthermore, recent evidence shows that plant communities are not only impacted by changes in nutrient availability per se, but also by the resulting changes in the ratios in which these nutrients are available to plants (i.e. stoichiometry)2 . Aiming to understand the vulnerability of species and ecosystems to changes and interactions in nutrient availability, stoichiometry, and climate, this project utilizes and analyzes a large and unique dataset of grassland sites across Europe, uses mathematical models of plant communities, and performs experimental tests on critical factors and species interactions to investigate the spatial distribution and diversity patterns of herbaceous plant species and communities over Europe in relation to environmental change. This project is therefore of pivotal importance for developing effective management measures, nutrient policies and network planning for protecting wild populations of plant species in Europe, especially those at risk of extinction.